Nobody needs to ‘diet’
Finding the balance that works for you is easier than it seems
I can’t stand fad diets. Most of them only work temporarily if at all, and none of them are structured to fit each different person’s lifestyle. In reality, you don’t need special pills to become healthy. They probably actually totally mess up your body which is the opposite of their marketed purpose. There is no “universal diet” except for one: eating right.
The way the world eats is actually very unhealthy. The human world has gotten into the habit of eating small breakfasts, medium lunches and huuuuuge, calorie packed dinners. When doctors say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, they’re being completely honest and totally correct. I do not recall, however, any doctors suggesting that people eat gigantic dinners. And there’s a totally logical yet completely unrecognized reason for that.
Calorie needs are basic. Calories are energy (as my personal trainer, Brian Douglas The Great, always reminded me), and therefore you should bulk up on calories before you do something physically straining. Common sense, right? So what I want to know is why we don’t apply that practice to daily life. Working out or not, you only need to consume calories when you need to be productive.
About two months ago I cracked the code: I eat a huuuuuge breakfast, medium lunch, and small dinner. Why? Start your day with a big helping of calories. I generally go for a PBJ, yogurt, some fruit, and tea or coffee. I charge up with carbs, protein, and perhaps some caffeine. My body has all the energy it needs and I’m ready to go.
For lunch, I’ll usually have a ham or turkey sandwich with lettuce, cheese and tomato. I might add something like a salad for some veggies and maybe some more fruit and a ton of water. I don’t eat too much – just enough to recharge.
Finally, I’ll have something small for dinner like oatmeal or some eggs. Dinner for me is just a small re-up to help me finish off my day and not go to bed hungry.
But Erica, does this really work? Yes. I lost five pounds after two weeks and have kept them off. My weight fluctuates because I work out and lift so I gain muscle mass, but by using this diet I have kept my body looking exactly how I want it to.
Another good example is this: yesterday I had a normal PBJ breakfast and then hammed out by having an egg white omelet with spinach and cheese and two chocolate chip pancakes for lunch. I just really wanted chocolate and eggs. Then I had a small serving of oatmeal for dinner since that lunch kept me nice and full, and I woke up looking like this:
Part of that was probably due to the fact that I worked out at night (cycling is my new favorite thing), but my point is that if you work out regularly and eat when you need to eat, you’ll be just fine. No need for diet pills or cleanses – just make smart, common sense decisions. Of course, everything in moderation; don’t eat chocolate chip pancakes every day but don’t stick to straight salad either. Moral of the story is that no one needs to eat a filet before going to bed.
My recipe has been successful so far, so I continue to use it and continue to implement it. Try it out and let me know if it works for you, too!